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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bore — to drill
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. bore — to tire
  11. lie — to recline
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. dip — to sink
  20. stock — goods
  21. stock — shares
  22. date — the fruit
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. plane — a tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com